New Cookbook Compiles Recipes From Beloved Astoria Eateries

ASTORIA, QUEENS — Astoria residents missing their neighborhood restaurants and bars amid the coronavirus pandemic will be able to replicate some of their favorite recipes at home, thanks to a new cookbook launching next month.

The Astoria at Home digital cookbook will compile recipes for small plates, main courses, cocktails and desserts from eateries across the neighborhood that can be prepared at home by chefs of any level.

Proceeds will support the Astoria Mutual Aid Network, whose volunteers are helping vulnerable community members during the pandemic by grocery shopping, running errands, picking up prescriptions and more.

The cookbook is the brainchild of Katie Riley, who has called Astoria home for the last seven years.

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She said she was inspired to start the project after reading a New York Times article on the resurgence of the community cookbook during the pandemic.

“One of the things I've always loved about the neighborhood is we have such a diverse food scene," Riley told Patch. "We’re trying to create something that really reflects the diversity of the community.”

Recipes such as the aptly-named "staycation cocktail" from Sek'end Sun, which Riley named as one of her favorite neighborhood haunts, will be paired with stories and memories submitted by community members.

“It’s part cookbook, part scrapbook," Riley said.

Since kicking off the project last month, Riley has assembled a team of more than half a dozen people to put the cookbook together. About two dozen restaurants and bars so far have agreed to send in recipes.

Participating businesses are also asked to share suggestions for how locals can best support them during the pandemic. The resulting list will be featured on the cookbook's website.

The cookbook launches in July but is available for pre-order at astoriacookbook.com. Stories can be submitted here.